Ukrainian grain exports in the first 17 days of October were only 2.4 percent lower than in the same period last year, thanks to the temporary reopening of ports on the Black Sea, data from the Ministry of Agriculture showed on Monday.
Grain exports have fallen since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine due to the closure of Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, raising fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East, whose countries are among the main buyers.
At the end of July, ports were reopened for three months thanks to an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
Ministry data showed that Ukraine exported 2.12 million tons of grain from the beginning of October, mainly corn and wheat, compared to 2.17 million tons in the same period of 2021.
In the season that ended in July, a total of 10.8 million tons of grain were exported, including 3.99 million tons of wheat, 5.88 million tons of corn, and 896 thousand tons of barley.
The volume of exports is 34.6 percent lower than in the 2021/2022 season.
